Navy.mil Home Page
Diversity Council Fosters Inclusive Work Environment
PANAMA CITY, Fla. (NNS) -- The Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD) Diversity Council (DC) works to promote awareness and provide resources for employees to integrate diversity initiatives throughout the workforce.
Special Emphasis Program Manager (SEPM) Pete Hamilton said the council members have backgrounds as diverse as the special emphasis areas with which they are tasked.
"The members of the Diversity Council are a representation of the workforce made up of volunteers from all different backgrounds, to include various demographics, educational specialties, job expertise and life experiences," Hamilton said. "The DC's vision is to leverage diversity in an inclusive workplace culture that values all differences to enhance our overall capabilities in support of the warfighter."
According to Hamilton, there are up to 20 voting DC members, six SEP managers, one chair, one co-chair and one secretary with a maximum of 11 other council members.
NSWC PCD Commanding Officer Capt. Dawson is the command's highest ranking member who serves as the Equal Employment Opportunity Officer (EEOO).
"All DC members commit to serve a two-year term and must reapply if they wish to continue serving on the council," said Dawson. "Civil Service is a noble calling. Serving with the Diversity Council is going above and beyond. DC members do that by not only serving in their primary field of expertise, but by representing their coworkers' diverse cultural backgrounds as well."
DC American Asian Pacific Islander SEPM Heidi Lecklitner-Halvorson said the council members do a lot of planning and networking to foster an inclusive workplace culture, particularly one inclusive of everyone's cultural differences.
"As more personnel participate in these events, it will hopefully encourage an across-the-board understanding and embracing of diversity, which is important for having productive integrated product teams at the project level," said Lecklitner-Halvorson.
According to DC Chair Christina Pate, the more employees participate in diversity events, the more the NSWC PCD will benefit from a healthier command climate.
"I believe when people show up and participate in our Diversity Day events, they will learn how cultural diversity actually strengthens synergy between NSWC PCD's employees," said Pate.
According to Disabilities SEPM Michael Rowe, to become SEP subject matter experts, DC members are responsible for more than representing employee cultures inside the Command's fence line.
"SEPMs also network with the ethnic and cultural groups they represent outside the base, too," said Rowe. "This covers networking with, and recruiting, ethnic and cultural leadership in the community so they can visit on special events as keynote speakers and perform special cultural presentations."
Rowe said the DC calls these networks Affinity Groups.
"By forming such partnerships, SEPMs form synergistic relationships with community leaders and key representatives--it's basically people helping people," said Rowe.
For example, Rowe said African American/Black SEPM Dr. Wendell J. Saintval's efforts are exemplary of the dedication and commitment of all SEPMs.
Saintval said he leads a team of DC mentors and tutors for their second year of a collaborative tutoring and mentoring program in partnership with Oscar Patterson Elementary Magnet School.
"Interactions with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) professionals helps children who are below grade-level in literacy to reach, if not surpass, their grade level while indirectly improving their future foundation in and motivation for STEM topics," said Saintval. "Such children are further empowered to be independent and successful in school and society via tutoring and positive mentoring."
Rowe and many DC members said diversity has proven its strength in American society, which our history testifies to this truth.
"I believe technology drives everyone's schedule today and it's simply too easy to get tunnel vision with our deadlines and commitments," said Rowe. "Almost everybody is guilty of the 'out of sight out of mind' mentality."
Rowe said the DC tries to bring diversity issues to the forefront and challenges us to continually break barriers between our cultural differences.
"This helps our workforce to find solutions based on a wider pool of problem solvers," said Rowe. "It basically inspires innovation."
For more news from Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division, visit www.navy.mil/local/NSWC/.
To sign up for updates or to access your subscriber preferences, please click on the envelope icon in the page header above or click